Wet sheet drier



May 24, 1955 s. WALLACE WET SHEET DRIER Filed May 15, 1954 INVENTOR.

5779/1/14? W/QZZflCf United States Patent Ofiice 2,708,795 Patented May24, 1955 WET SHEET DRIER Stanley Wallace, Detroit, Mich. Application May13, 1954, Serial No. 429,668 6 Claims. (Cl. 34-94) This inventionrelates to a wet sheet drier, and more particularly pertains to alaminated stack wet-sheet drier for drying wet sheets quickly and in anunwrinkled condition.

The utility and economy of wet sheet driers is well established in thephotographic industry where the wet sheets of film and print aredisposed between layers of blotters and corrugated boards in a laminatedstack so that air is forced through the channels formed by thecorrugation elements of the corrugated cardboard so as to draw 01f themoisture through the blotters from the wet prints and films disposed inthe pack.

The devices of the prior art, however, which suitably dry prints andfilms and other wet sheets are large, cumbersome, and extremelyexpensive, especially in relation to the amateur photographer or user inthat it would be necessary for him to purchase a drier which had muchmore capacity than was necessary and which was too expensive to buy. Inother words, the matt-type driers of the prior art cost too much for theamateur or small using photographer to spend on them in relation to theuse for which he would put them.

With the foregoing in view, it is the primary object of the instantinvention to provide a small compact, neat, inexpensive, highlyefficient, small capacity, laminated pack, wet sheet drier particularlysuitable for small photographic installations.

An object or" the invention is to provide a wet sheet drier which issimple and inexpensive in construction, easy to operate, efiicient anduniform in operation and results, and as efiective as larger much moreexpensive matt-type driers.

An object of the invention is to provide a sound case having a wall andsidewalls at an angle thereto defining an enclosure having a large endopening adapted to receive a rolled, laminated, tube-like packcontaining the wet sheets to be dried.

An object of the invention is to dispose an air impeller wheel on thebottom wall or end wall of the case with the axis of rotation of theimpeller wheel extending through the opening in the wall which receivesthe rolled pack.

An object of the invention is to provide a deflector wall surroundingthe wheel inside the enclosure or casing.

An object of the invention is to provide a tubular, laminated, rolledpack with a relatively large central opening adapted to feed air axiallyof the fan when the pack is disposed in the casing.

An object of the invention is to provide channels in the wall area ofthe pack adapted to channel air received from the fan outwardly of thecasing or enclosure.

An object of the invention is to provide a deflector wall around theimpeller wheel adapted to deflect the radially impelled air axiallyoutwardly of the casing through the opening in parallel with the axis ofrotation of the impeller wheel.

An object of the invention is to provide a plenum chamber adjacent theradial area of the fan for receiving the radially impelled air so as toprovide even distribution of the impelled air to each and every channelor duct leading through the pack.

These and other objects of the invention will become apparent byreference to the following description of the roll type matt pack drierembodying the invention taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawing, in which:

Fig. l is a vertical cross-sectional view of a drier embodying theinvention with parts being shown in elevation;

Fig. 2 is a top elevational view of the inventive drier as seen in Fig.1, including a portion of the rolled laminated pack as seen in Fig. lbut eliminating the rest of the pack as seen in Fig. 1.

Referring now to the drawings where like numerals refer to like andcorresponding parts throughout the several views, the wet sheet drierdisclosed therein to illustrate the invention, comprises a bottom wallIt) and sidewalls 11 and 12 disposed at an angle to the bottom wall 10which in conjunction with the angled walls 11A and 12A comprise a caseor describe an enclosure having a top opening 13. As seen in Fig. l, thewalls may be provided with an enlarged base portion 14 and inwardlydirected lip portions 16 and 17 having a rubber sealing grommet 18thereon for sealing against the outer edge wall of the laminated pack 20disposed in the opening 13 of the case.

Mounted on the wall 10, which is opposite the opening 13, is the motor21 which supports the air impeller wheel 22 with its axis of rotation asextended aligned with the central area of the opening 13 so that whenthe pack 29 is disposed therein the large center opening 23 in the pack26 is axially aligned with the impeller wheels axis of rotation. It isto be noted that the bottom 24 of the pack 20 rests on the walls 11A and12A with the bottom 24 of the pack disposed on substantially the sameplane as the top 25 of the impeller wheel 22.

The pack 22 in the thick wall area 26 is provided with channels orchambers 27 which parallel its center opening 23 and which parallel theimpeller wheels extended axis of rotation.

In assembling the pack 20, it is preferable to lay a long strip ofcorrugated cardboard on a fiat surface so that the corrugations thereofrun cross-wise of the strip, which corrugations form the channels 27 ofthe integrated pack. A strip of blotter is superimposed coextensively onthe cardboard strip and the wet prints or sheets or films are then laidon top of the blotter. Another strip of blotter is laid over the wetsheets and the whole laminated group is then rolled into the pack asseen in the drawing as designated by the numeral 20.

In operation, with the impeller wheel 25 turning at a substantially highrate of speed, the air in the area of the blades 40 is thrown sidewiseoutwardly radially of the impeller wheel 25, into the plenum chamberarea P of the enclosure as described by the walls 11A and 12A and thebottom of the pack 20. As the radially impelled air strikes the walls11A and 12A, it is directed upwardly axially parallel with the axis ofrotation of the fan to the bottoms or ends of the chambers 27 in thepack 20. Due to the outward radially impelling of the air in the area ofthe blades 40, a low pressure area is created at the end 41 of the fanand atmospheric pressure forces a constant supply of air into thecentral opening 23 of the pack 29 so that the fan or impeller wheel isconstantly supplied with air so that it can constantly radially directand force air into the plenum chamber P, where it feeds evenly outwardlythrough the chambers 27 in the direction of the arrows 42, absorbing themoisture in the pack so as to accelerate drying the wet sheets containedtherein.

While the inventive device is shown in an embellished and highlyfinished state of construction, it is evident that the enclosure can beformed with simple cylindrical sidewalls and a bottom connected theretoto support the motor 21 and the impeller wheel 25. It is also obviousthat the pack 2% can be suspended at the upper end of the walls definingthe disclosure.

Although but a single embodiment of the invention has been shown anddescribed in detail, it is obvious that many changes may be made in thesize, shape, detail, and the arrangements of the elements of theinvention within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A photograph print and film drier comprising a case having a largeopening in one side thereof, a powdered air impeller wheel in said caseon the side thereof opposite the opening; said wheel being axiallyaligned with the opening; a partition Wall inside said case surroundingsaid wheel disposed on an angle inclining outwardly toward said opening,and-a pack in said case disposed in said opening abutting the side wallsthereof and extending through the interior of said case and abuttingsaid partition wall; said pack having a hollow central portion axiallyaligned with said wheel axis and a longitudinally chambered areasurrounding said central hollow portion; said pack bottom beingsubstantially on a plane with the top of said wheel; said wheel whenrunning being capable of drawing air into said case through said packcentral opening and discharging the air from said case through said packlongitudinal channels so as to force air through said pack to absorbmoisture from prints and film laminated in said pack.

2. A photographic print and film drier comprising a cylindrical casehaving a large top opening, a bottom in said case, a powered airimpeller wheel on said bottom having its axis of rotation when extendedleading through the center of the case top opening, a truncated conicalpartition wall in said case adjacent said bottom surrounding said wheelwith the larger end thereof uppermost and contacting the inside of saidcase, a corrugated cardboard rolled laminated pack adapted to have wetprints and films integrated therewith disposed in said case opening insealing relationship with the side walls thereof and in sealingrelationship with said conical partition Wall; said pack being rolledfrom a long strip of corrugated cardboard so that when rolled said packhas the characteristics of a thick-walled hollow-centered tube withlongitudinal channeling in the wall area and a hollow center area; saidpack bottom being on substantially the same plane as said wheel top;said wheel when running being capable of drawing air into said case viasaid pack hollow center area and discharging air from said case throughsaid pack longitudinal channel area so as to force air through said packto absorb moisture from prints-and films laminated in said pack.

3. A wet sheet drier comprising a first wall, a powered impeller wheelmounted on said wall, second walls connected to said wall at an anglethereto together with said first wall defining a wheel enclosure havinga large opening; said wheel being aligned relative to the enclosureopening with said wheels extended axis of rotation projecting throughthe central area of said opening; said wheel being adapted to draw airaxially and to thrust air radially thereof so as to circulate air insaid enclosure, and divider means in said enclosure separating saidwheels air drawing axial portion from said wheels thrusting radialportion to channel the air in said enclosure and prevent shortcircuiting of the air between said wheels drawing and thrustingportions.

4. In a device as set forth in claim 3, an inclined deflectorwall'surrounding said wheeladapted to intercept radially thrust air anddirect it parallel to said wheels axis of rotation.

5. In a device as set forth in claim 3, said divider means constitutinga thick-walled laminated pack having a relatively large center openingand relatively smaller channels in the wall area thereof; said packbeing disposable in the opening of said wheel enclosure in sealingrelationship with said second walls with said packs central opening andside channels in parallel'with said wheels axis of rotation withsaidpacks first inserted end lying substantially on the same plane as thetop of said wheel; said wheel when running being capable of drawing airinto said enclosure via said pack central opening and -to force the airoutwardly of said enclosure via said pack side channels.

6. In a device as set forth in claim 5, an inclined deflectorwall-surrounding said wheel adapted to contact and support said pack indesired location on the plane of the top of said wheel and to interceptradially thrust air and direct it parallel to said wheels axis ofrotation through said pack.

References Cited in thefile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 766,985Bowman Aug. 9, 1904 1,189,383 Potter July 4, 1916 2,133,078 Carter Oct.11, 1938 2,285,261 Ellis June 2, 1942

